1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrier pack for transporting snowboard equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a carrier pack for transporting a snowboard and accessory equipment, which carrier pack easily adjusts in carrier configuration when the snowboard is detached to shift the wearer""s center of gravity for improving the downhill snowboarding experience.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Snow sports are extremely popular activities supporting a great number of industries. Noteworthy among these industries are those that provide the sundry specialized equipment for engaging in snow sport activities. Snow skiing and snowboarding, for example, are among the most popular of snow sports requiring specialized equipment. Snowboarding, in particular, at the very least, requires a snowboard, bindings, boots and clothing. In addition to the more essential equipment, snow sport enthusiasts also find useful the inclusion of various accessory items. In this regard, snowboarders often find useful the inclusion of maintenance kits, transceivers, shovels, security devices, and any number of personal items as peripheral components to the snowboarding experience.
The various types of equipment are often awkward and cumbersome to transport to and from the site of activity, however. Systems and devices for assisting snow sport enthusiasts in the transportation of snow sport equipment have thus become well developed and accordingly are well known in the prior art. For example, snow ski carrying systems, having multiple elective functions are known, some of which are described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,530,695 (""695 Patent), which issued to Helmert, discloses a Ski Carrier and Waist Belt. The Ski Carrier and Waist Belt teaches a strap which may be electively utilized for carrying skis comprising at each end thereof loop forming short straps with which a loop may be formed. The loops, after having been passed round a set of skis, are adjustably tightened so as to enable the user to transport one or more pairs of skis in a vertical position behind the user""s shoulder. Moreover, the strap may further be electively utilized as a belt for the waist of the user by securing the loop forming straps in the lengthwise direction of the central strap part for securement about the user""s waist. It is noteworthy that the Ski Carrier and Waist Belt of the ""695 Patent does not disclose an electively convertible back-to-hip carrier pack having two separate storage compartments pivotable about a lower half.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,166 (""166 Patent), which issued to Hogensen, Jr., discloses a Ski-Carrier Strap Device. The Ski-Carrier Strap Device is also electively convertible from a waist belt to a ski-carrier and vice versa. The Ski Carrier Strap Device comprises a single strap, which is continuous in its length from one end to the other. A buckle member of mating buckle means is attached to one end of the strap and two length adjustment slides are attached to the strap for sliding positional adjustment along the length thereof. The other end of the strap is attached to the length adjustment slide nearest that end thereby forming a loop of adjustable size. A second buckle member of the mating buckle means is positioned with the other length adjustment slide and is adapted to releasably engage the buckle member on the first-mentioned end of the strap to form a second loop of adjustable size. A third buckle member is slidably attached to the portion of the strap that forms the first loop. The second loop is used to carry skis by forming and wrapping it about the skis while the first loop provides a handle to carry the bundle. Elective reconversion to the waist belt is made by unbuckling the second loop, adjusting the size of the first loop, and attaching the first-mentioned buckle member to the third buckle member. It is further noted that the Ski-Carrier Strap Device of the ""166 Patent also does not disclose an electively convertible carrier pack having two separate storage compartments pivotable about an abdominal encircling belt enabling a user to convert the carrier pack between either a back-mounted position or a hip-mounted position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,107 (""107 Patent), which issued to Amos, discloses a Carrier System for Ski Equipment. At the election of the user, the Carrier System for Ski Equipment may be converted to a waist belt when not being used as a carrier system. In one embodiment a belted pack is combined with a carrier into which pack the carrier may be placed when not in use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,096 (""096 Patent), which issued to Sieber, discloses another Ski Carrier that can quickly compact from a backpack into a carrying pouch for wear around the user""s waist. U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,364 (""364 Patent), which issued to Krieger et al., discloses an Article Carrier. The Article Carrier may be electively modified into a fanny pack, a backpack carrier, and/or a carrier for skis and the like. The Article Carrier comprises a shoulder harness detachably secured to the fanny pack and may electively be stored in the pack compartment or draped over a user""s shoulders. The ""107 Patent, the ""096 Patent and the ""364 Patent further do not disclose a convertible carrier pack having two separate storage compartments pivotable about an abdominal encircling belt enabling a user to electively convert the carrier pack between either a back-mounted position or a hip-mounted position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,991 (""991 Patent), which issued to Neading, discloses a Combination Storage Belt and Ski Carrier Accessory and Method of Conversion. The Combination Storage Belt and Ski Carrier Accessory and Method of Conversion comprises a belt mounting pair of releasably and reversibly attachable flexible members at each of a pair of opposite ends of the belt and a storage bag at an intermediate location thereon between the opposite ends of the belt. The belt is adjustable to convert it between a contracted condition and an expanded condition. In the contracted condition, the adjustable belt is adapted to be worn about the user""s waist with the flexible members forming closed loops positioned on the same side of the belt as the storage bag. In the expanded condition the belt is adapted to be worn across the front of the user""s torso and over one shoulder with the flexible members forming closed loops positioned on the opposite side of the belt from the storage bag to hold and carry skis in a generally upright orientation along the user""s back. Connector members are connected during the contracted condition and disconnected during the expanded condition. It is still further noted that the ""991 Patent does not disclose a pivotable, two-storage-compartment system, electively convertible while the user wears the system from a back-mounted position to a hip-mounted position enabling the user to shift the user""s center of gravity from a superior center to an inferior center for improving the sport experience.
Systems and/or devices having multiple elective functions to assist snowboarders in the transportation of snowboard equipment are less known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,103 (""103 Patent), which issued to Baugh, discloses a Removable Snowboard Waist Pack. The Removable Snowboard Waist Pack comprises a pack for attachment to a snowboard by hook and loop fasteners. The pack further comprises front and top pouches and a carrying strap whereby the pack may be electively removed from the snowboard and worn about a user""s waist. U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,361 (""361 Patent), which issued to Johnson, discloses a Carrier for Transporting Elongate Recreational Equipment. The Carrier for Transporting Elongate Recreational Equipment comprises a panel on which are mounted top and bottom securing straps and which are securing through top and bottom securing buckles on the opposite side of the panel. The securing straps for transport may then secure a snowboard. First and second carrying straps are mounted to the panel and connect at the unmounted ends to form a complete carrying strap. The user may insert an arm and head through the complete strap such that the complete strap extends across the user""s torso and the panel with secured snowboard is adjacent the medial portion of the user""s back. Neither the ""103 Patent nor the ""361 Patent discloses a back-mountable carrier pack having left and right storage compartments, which compartments easily pivot about an abdominal encircling belt to a hip-mounted position at the election of the user.
It will thus be seen that none of the prior art discloses a bifurcated carrier pack for electively transporting snowboard equipment either in a traditional rucksack, back-mounted position or in an unconventional hip-mounted position. Further, none of the prior art discloses a two-compartment system, which, at the election of the user, may shift the user""s center of gravity from a superior center to an inferior center for improving the sport experience. Further none of the prior art disclose a two-compartment system, which compartments may, at the election of the user, be pivoted about an abdominal encircling belt while the user wears the carrier pack to convert from a traditional back-mounted position to a hip-mounted position.
Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide a two-compartment system whereby a user may elect to transport stored equipment either in a traditional rucksack, back-mounted manner or in an unconventional, hip-mounted manner. A further objective of the present invention is to provide a bifurcated carrier pack for electively transporting snowboard or other equipment in a back-mounted position or in a hip-mounted position. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a two-compartment carrier pack system, which, at the election of the user, enables the user to shift his or her center of gravity from a superior center to an inferior center for improving the sport experience. Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a two-compartment carrier pack system, wherein the compartments may electively pivot about an abdominal encircling belt while the user wears the carrier pack system to convert from a back-mounted position to a hip-mounted position. Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a means for attaching a snowboard or other bulky equipment to the carrier pack while in a back-mounted position for both transportation and detachment ease. Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a carrier pack in combination with accessory safety equipment releasably mounted to the carrier pack for improving the sport experience.
To attain these objectives, the claimed invention generally comprises a bifurcated carrier pack, which pack further generally comprises a pair of storage compartments, a pair of shoulder straps, and an abdominal encircling belt. The storage compartments are designed for posterior thoracic placement when the user elects to transport equipment in the bifurcated carrier pack while in a back-mounted position. The storage compartments each further comprise means for opening and closing the storage compartment, a contact surface, a superficial surface, a superior end, a medial edge, a lateral edge, and an inferior end. The means for opening and closing the storage compartment further comprises at least one zipper mechanism, which mechanism enables the user to easily gain entrance to the storage compartments for storing of sundry equipment and further enables the user to easily reseal the storage compartments.
The bifurcated carrier pack further comprises in combination two shovel halves. The shovel halves are included in combination with the bifurcated carrier pack as essential safety tools to aid the user in the snowboarding experience and are detachably mounted to the storage compartments.
The shoulder straps each have a posterior end, an anterior end, an inner strap surface, and an exterior strap surface. The anterior ends each have fastening means for releasable attachment to the storage compartment when the user elects to transport equipment in the bifurcated carrier pack while in a hip-mounted position. The fastening means of the anterior ends further releasably attach to the abdominal encircling belt when the user elects to transport equipment in the bifurcated carrier pack while in a back-mounted position. The shoulder straps each further comprise fastening means for releasably attaching the shoulder straps to one another; the fastening means being located intermediate the anterior ends and the posterior ends. When fastened, the fastening means may better secure the storage compartments to the back of a user. This is achieved by preventing the shoulder straps from sliding from a shoulder-mounted position.
The abdominal encircling belt comprises an interior surface, an exterior surface, two anterior belt ends, and a posterior belt region intermediate the anterior belt ends. The anterior belt ends further comprise horizontal fastening means for releasable attachment to one another and vertical fastening means for releasable attachment to the anterior ends of the shoulder straps when the user elects to transport equipment in the bifurcated carrier pack while in a back-mounted position. The length of the shoulder straps may be electively adjusted to better secure the storage compartments to the back of a user. In a similar fashion, the abdominal encircling belt further comprises means for adjusting the length of the abdominal encircling belt to better secure the storage compartments to the back of a user. The posterior belt region further comprises means for pivotal attachment to the inferior end of each storage compartment thus allowing the storage compartments to rotate 360 degrees about a pivot axis of rotation adjacent the inferior ends.
The bifurcated carrier pack further comprises means for removably securing bulky equipment superjacent, or in superficial adjacency, to the superficial surfaces. The means for removably securing a snowboard further comprises at least two laterally spaced elastic straps or cords each having a superior strap end and an inferior strap end. The superior strap ends are fixedly attached adjacent the superior ends of the storage compartments. The inferior strap ends further comprise means for releasable attachment to the superficial surfaces. When the user elects to transport a snowboard in addition to stored equipment, the user releasably attaches the snowboard laterally superjacent to the superficial surfaces. Should the user elect to transport stored equipment in the bifurcated carrier pack while in a hip-mounted position, the elastic straps may preferably remain relaxably secured to the storage compartments.